Vancouver lawyer temporarily suspended for ‘professional misconduct’
Posted June 17, 2021 6:49 am.
Last Updated June 17, 2021 10:34 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A Vancouver lawyer has been suspended for two months, effective June 21, for what’s being described as professional misconduct.
The Law Society of BC says Paul Doroshenko, the founder of Acumen Law, has admitted to “misappropriating or improperly withdrawing” $44,353.19 in client trust fund, as well as failing to identify the shortage.
It adds various accounting breaches were a result of Doroshenko’s “inattentiveness to the administrative side of his practice and he placed too much reliance on his staff to ensure that his books were in order.”
News release: Law Society suspends Vancouver lawyer Paul Doroshenko https://t.co/g6Xs5SSpBv
— Law Society of BC (@LawSocietyofBC) June 16, 2021
The society says the improper withdrawals or misappropriation happened because they were taken out before mistakes were identified or corrected.
“Doroshenko admitted he failed to properly supervise his staff and no longer employs the individuals involved,” reads a statement from the Law Society. “He was also suffering from a concussion and other significant health issues due to an accident during that time, which affected his ability to function and work.”
The society says no clients were hurt and that all funds have been replaced.
Doroshenko, who is a frequent commentator and contributor within Vancouver’s media landscape, has also admitted to “failing to identify a trust shortage, pay funds to immediately eliminate the trust shortage and report the trust shortage to the Law Society; failing to maintain sufficient funds on deposit to meet his trust obligations; failing to deposit trust funds totaling $25,095.93 into trust as soon as possible; maintaining more than $300 of his own funds in trust; failing to maintain accounting records in compliance with the Law Society Rules; failing to adequately supervise his staff; and making false representations to the Law Society in his annual trust report.”
Doroshenko is expected to return to his practice in August. He is also required to complete five additional hours of professional development credits as part of his sanction.
